‘Who cares?’
Ball State softball player McKenna Mulholland discusses her mental struggles over the last year.
Ball State junior softball player
McKenna Mulholland holds an old photo of her and her stepfather March 31 in the Art and Journalism Building. Mulholland lost her stepfather in December 2023, closely followed by the beginning of her softball season. ANDREW BERGER, DN
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CORRECTION
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In the March 27 issue of the Ball State Daily News, it was incorrectly stated on page 10 that Timmy is wheelchair-bound, while he does not use a wheelchair. On page 05, it was incorrectly stated that Code Red was the only team in the MidAmerican Conference and Indiana to make it to the Collegiate National finals To submit a correction, email editor@bsudailynews.com.
Cory Booker sets record for longest filibuster
April 1: New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker held the Senate floor with a marathon speech that lasted all night March 31 into the evening of April 1. The speech set a historic mark to show Democrat’s resistance to President Donald Trump’s sweeping actions, according to the Associated Press (AP). Booker said March 21 he would remain on the Senate floor as long as he was “physically able.” It wasn’t until more than 25 hours later that he finished speaking and walked off the floor, setting the record for the longest continuous Senate floor speech in the chamber’s history, according to AP.
Prosecutors seek death penalty for Mangione
April 1: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Apr. 1 she has directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, following through on the president’s campaign promise to vigorously pursue capital punishment. It is the first time the Justice Department has sought to bring the death penalty since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to the Associated Press (AP). Mangione faces separate murder charges after authorities say he gunned down Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel Dec. 4, 2024, according to AP.
Cardinals take another big midweek win
April 1: Ball State baseball (20-10) won another midweek contest over Bellarmine 14-1 (7 inn.) The Cardinals have not lost a midweek game since Feb. 25 against Illinois State. The Cardinals scored nine runs in the third inning after four runs in the opening two frames. The pitching staff held the Knights to one run on two hits. Evan Shapiro earned the win out of the bullpen, striking out four in two perfect innings of work. Garrett Harker, Will Jacobson and Brendan Garza finished the game. Brayden Huebner went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in his collegiate debut. The Cardinals next have a road series at Eastern Michigan April 4.
TOM GRALISH/THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS
GARDINER ANDERSON / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/ TNS
ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
‘HEART FOR THE COMMUNITY’
Ball State’s student chapter of the American String Teachers Association traveled to the national conference to accept the Outstanding Student Chapter Award.
Sean Behling Reporter
Ball State’s student chapter of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) won the national Outstanding Student Chapter award and traveled to a conference in Atlanta, Georgia, to accept it.
The chapter, however, is known for more than its award recognition.
ASTA is a national organization dedicated to supporting string and orchestra players — especially those who wish to become teachers — that holds an annual conference in the spring. Every year, Ball State’s student chapter makes a point to attend.
This year, they were excited to attend and accept their award in person.
Campus BSU shares education, careers survey
Ball State’s Office of Governmental Relations and Industry Engagement is conducting a survey with Strada Education Foundation on students’ academic choices and career connections. A March 31 email from the office stated participants can receive $5 and a raffle entry. The survey will arrive via email April 7.
Local
Muncie residents get Unity Bridge survey
According to a March 28 press release from the Shafer Leadership Academy, Muncie Youth Leadership students have launched a new survey to engage the community on the future of the Unity Bridge. Muncie residents and those connected to the community can participate. Learn more at the Shafer Leadership Academy website.
Ball State’s ASTA student chapter shows its dedication through a slew of different outreach initiatives. The chapter spends four nights almost every week helping string players in the community of Muncie. These optional events include a lot of younger students, mainly through their work at the Ross Community Center and with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of East Central Indiana (YSOECI), Matthew Spieker, the faculty adviser for the chapter, said.
Spieker is also the artistic director and conductor of YSOECI’s most advanced group.
“I didn’t want to do it if I couldn’t create a program where my Ball State students get opportunities to teach also,” Spieker said.
Through a partnership program he’s put in place
As several members of the chapter emphasized, it’s “baffling” for them to be surrounded by an entire conference of string teachers when they’re typically the string teacher for a given school or area.
alongside Tiffany Arnold, the executive director for the YSOECI, the chapter has been able to get grant money to pay the members who teach the kids at the YSOECI.
“I think it’s important to compensate musicians and music teachers fairly, and I want to use my leadership role in YSOECI to make a difference where I can,” Arnold said.
While working with the Ross Center, the chapter teaches beginner viola and cello two days a week as part of an after-school program.
Abigail “Abbi” Best, the chapter president, said working with kids in the Muncie Community School system means seeing the effects of different socioeconomic issues like food insecurity firsthand, which further prepares them to be teachers in the future.
4See ASTA, 14
State
Braun signs order to modernize BMV
Governor Mike Braun signed two executive orders to improve customer service in Indiana. One order modernizes BMV technology, while the other streamlines transportation permitting. Braun said these changes will enhance efficiency and service for Hoosiers, according to an April 1 press release from his office.
Members the Ball State University American String Teachers Association chapter who attended the conference pose with their Oustanding Student Chapter award. Back row left to right: Matthew Spieker, Aaron Robinson, Megan Duncan, Jacob Conner, Patricia Burton, Joe Foster. Standing front row: Mario Laing, Laurel Meitrodt, Ella Moss, Abigail Best, Hannah Wellman, Grace Buchanan, Nicholas Hogue. Kneeling: Alvaro Lagunas. BALL STATE AMERICAN STRING TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, PHOTO PROVIDED
‘A
Generation at War’
documentaries, began working on the film, “A Generation at War,” in 2020 when Laswell and fellow co-founder Alan Backler began scriptwriting. Filming followed suit in 2022, with the company’s third co-founder, David Gudaitis, acting as co-producer and director of photography alongside Elizabeth Mitchell as co-producer, co-videographer and finance manager for the documentary.
The documentary, like Etcheson’s book, dives deep into the effects on Putnam County during the Civil War era. With Putnam County being a smaller, more local area, the members of Gudaitis Production said they wanted to focus on the families and home life during this time in history.
“The war wasn’t just what was going on in the battlefields; it was having an effect back home on all the other people, too,” Laswell said. He explained that one of the production team’s goals with the documentary was not to treat Putnam County as a “stand-alone” or “individual” but more so to represent the northern counties as a whole. The decision was made as many of the same consequences that occurred in Putnam County also happened in many other northern and midwestern counties.
Within the five-year process of producing the film, Laswell said several challenges and obstacles occurred that the members of Gudaitis Production were able to overcome, including underfunding, editing and filming reenactments.
However, with financial help from the Putnam County Economic Development Center, Gudaitis Production was able to persist and continue with the making of the documentary.
Ball State University professor’s 2011 book detailing Indiana’s U.S. Civil War stories has been adapted into a Civil War documentary film.
Nicole Etcheson’s 350-page book, “A Generation at War: The Civil War Era,” covers the lasting effects of the U.S. Civil War on life in Putnam County, Indiana. The book — an Avery O. Craven Award Winner: Indiana Center for the Book Award — is the inspiration for a new documentary film by Gudaitis Production, which first premiered Jan. 22 at the Ashley Square Cinema.
Etcheson said her inspiration to write the book came from her childhood interest in Abraham Lincoln and her desire to obtain a better understanding of how the large-scale war affected smaller communities in the northern region.
“One idea was to get a sense of how the North changed during the Civil War. That’s what I really wanted to get at by looking at a community like Putnam County, which was more representative of the North than other urban areas that have been
One idea was to get a sense of how the North changed during the Civil War. That’s what I really wanted to get at by looking at a community like Putnam County, which was more representative of the North than other urban areas that have been written about.”
- NICOLE ETCHESON,
Ball State University professor and author of “A Generation at War: The Civil War Era”
written about,” Etcheson said.
The idea of Etcheson’s book being turned into a documentary film was brought to Gudaitis Production in 2019, when Jim Madison, a history professor at Indiana University (IU) Bloomington, informed the company of her book and proposed it as a new project.
Madison had worked with Gudaitis Production
on some of their other films and previously had Etcheson in class as a former student.
“We went up to Muncie and talked with [Etcheson] for a while, and she agreed, ‘Yeah, I’ll work with you old guys,’ and so we did,” said Gudaitis Production co-founder Larry Laswell.
The production company, known for its educational films and recent shift toward
Shelly McFadden, a member of the Putnam County Playhouse, also helped with providing locations and actors for reenactment scenes. With the ending of the Civil War coming up to its 150th anniversary in April, students continue to learn about this era in American history and its importance. Civil War historian and Ball State University professor Scott Stephan has not only read Etcheson’s book but also uses it as material for his students in his history classes.
He said the most remarkable part of Etcheson’s book is the explanation and representation of how divided the Midwest was during the Civil War era and “pulling together so many diverse sources and making it into a narrative that people could follow.”
The members of Gudaitis Production’s main goal with “A Generation at War” was to shine a light on the northern counties and the difficulties that people of all kinds in those counties experienced during the Civil War.
“To me, it’s like people still forget how history is still relevant, and the conflicts and issues that were happening in Putnam County are kind of still relevant today in terms of the issues that were going on,” Gudaitis said. “If you don’t pay attention to history, you’re doomed to repeat it.”
Since its early 2025 release, the documentary has been airing on Indiana Public Television. Gudaitis said the production company is currently in negotiations with the Buskirk Chumley Theatre in Bloomington, Indiana, to air the documentary film, as well as the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis. Etchenson’s book is available for purchase online or at local bookstores.
Contact Gracie Parkhurst via email at gracie. parkhurst@bsu.edu.
Gracie Parkhurst Reporter
Ball State University professor and author Nicole Etcheson reads a copy of her book “A Generation at War: The Civil War Era” in her office April 1 at the Richard W. Burkhardt Building. The book is the inspiration for a new documentary film by Gudaitis Production, which first premiered Jan. 22 at the Ashley Square Cinema. ANDREW BERGER, DN
‘Learn how to deal’
Ball
State junior
softball
player McKenna Mulholland opens up about grief and other mental obstacles she faced over the last year.
Men’s Tennis
Lancaster wins MAC Player of the Week
Senior men’s tennis player Jacks Lancaster earned the Mid-American Conference Co-Singles Player of the Week honors after his performances at Buffalo and Toledo last weekend. Lancaster was 2-0 in contests against the Bulls and Rockets. He beat Toledo’s No. 2 singles 6-4, 6-2 en route to a team victory. He topped Buffalos’ No. 2 singles 6-4 after a 7-6 (4) tiebreaker.
Men’s Golf
Bellar finishes sixth at Butler Invite
Senior Kash Bellar finished sixth in the highly competitive Don Benbow Invitational hosted by Butler at the Highland Golf and Country Club. Bellar shot a 72, 66 and 70 with a three-round total of 208 to finish in the top 10. His four-under 66 was the Cardinals’ low round and had him tied at fourth place entering the final round.
Men’s Volleyball
Cardinals hit the road for the weekend
Men’s volleyball season is nearing its close with three matches remaining. The Cardinals play Ohio State April 3 at 7 p.m. Ball State won the last contest 3-2. They will be at Purdue Fort Wayne for a 7 p.m. contest with the Mastadons two days later. Ball State has one more match against Loyola Chicago before the conference tournament.
JESSICA BERGFORS, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION THIS PAGE WAS DESIGNED USING ASSETS FROM FREEPIK.COM
BRENDEN ROWAN, DN ILLUSTRATION
MCKENNA MULHOLLAND, PHOTOS PROVIDED
McKenna Mulholland poses with her stepdad Joe Gioia Dec. 2016 at the Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Fla.
McKenna Mulholland takes a photo with her stepdad Joe Gioia Oct. 23, 2016 in Oviedo, Fla.
McKenna Mulholland smiles with her stepdad Joe Gioia Sept. 25, 2021 in Muncie.
On and off the field, Ball State softball’s McKenna Mulholland has struggled mentally.
Zach Carter Sports Editor
McKenna “JoJo” Mulholland is not 100 percent. The redshirt junior Ball State softball player said she’s not even remotely close to that mark when it comes to her mental health.
“I think I’m probably at about 20 percent,” she said. “Nowhere close to where I want to be.”
She has spent multiple evenings a week driving around Muncie. Though the Oviedo, Florida, native has no clue where her 2024 Kia Forte is taking her, she keeps going. It depends on the day when a certain emotion will appear on these late-night cruises: anger, sadness and, sometimes, happiness.
“I still don’t know Muncie, and I’ve been here for four years,” Mulholland said. “I would turn off my GPS, and I would just go down a bunch of random roads. I’d go down country roads or by the railroad tracks. I would end up on some two-lane road with no street lights on.”
Even with that, the Cardinals’ infielder still goes on about her day with a smile on her face. She doesn’t let her teammates see the pain she’s been in and admits she’s stubborn when it comes to talking about her emotions.
Why?
It was April of 2023 when her stepdad, Joe Gioia, was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. He died nine months later in December 2023. One day after his funeral, she was on her way back to Muncie to prepare for the upcoming softball season.
It didn’t help that during the season, she was in a slump she felt would never end.
Mulholland believes this year started the same way. “I’m not performing exactly [how] I want myself to perform,” she said. “I’m falling short of my expectations right now.”
‘It felt like a dream’
It was spring of 2023 when Mulholland was on the phone with her mom, Lisa, as the Cardinals were on the road to a tournament. She could tell something was wrong but couldn’t tell where her mom was over FaceTime. Lisa informed McKenna she was at the hospital as Joe was having stomach pains and went down to a knee at his job site.
“Prior knowledge, [he had] no health issues. He was still swinging back a couple’ cold ones whenever he wanted,” McKenna said.
McKenna got the official news about Joe’s health right before the 2023 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament. She talked to then-Ball State head coach Lacey Schurr, who assured her to do whatever she needed to care for herself.
McKenna questioned if she’d even play. Joe shut that idea down quickly.
“Joe was the one who called me and said, ‘Look,
We knew she would kind of self-destruct if we let her, and we didn’t want her to do that. So, we made sure that we kind of stuck by her.”
- SAMANTHA JO MATA, Former Ball State University softball player
State junior McKenna Mulholland
dirt between her hands while stepping up to bat against Northern Illinois April 1 at Ball State Softball Stadium.
and
sweetie, I’m fine. Go play, and I’m gonna see you in a few weeks,’” she said. “That’s the reassurance I needed.”
After the season, McKenna went home for the summer and said Joe was doing well with chemotherapy. Following the start of school in August, Joe was scheduled to have a procedure to try and remove the cancer.
She flew home to be with her family, but at the last minute, the appointment was canceled. Joe had to be off chemotherapy for weeks, and then things became more serious.
“That was really discouraging to hear from his end,” McKenna said. “From my end, I was like, ‘OK, this is the end of it. We just gotta get through this, and then he’s gonna be all better now.’ So, I went home, and he’s just in poor spirits. It was really hard to see.”
As time went on, Joe’s health worsened. She knew something was wrong when Joe, Lisa, McKenna and her stepsister went on a car ride. With McKenna needing a new car, Joe rushed them to a dealership and picked out her current means of transportation.
She knew the situation wasn’t getting better.
“I don’t want to remember him when he was sick,” McKenna said. “It spoke volumes to me, thinking back on it now. I didn’t realize at the moment why everything was so rushed. I realized it was because he knew that he was passing, but just being there, it just spoke volumes about how selfless he was … He used his bonus to get me my new car. He put the bonus that he worked hard for, and he put it aside so that we could put a down payment on my new car.”
Ball
slaps
Mulholland finished 2024 with a .247 average
37 hits. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Ball State junior McKenna Mulholland steps up to bat against Northern Illinois April 1 at Ball State Softball Stadium. Being a captain on the team, Mulholland said she feels the need to keep a positive attitude amongst her grief. ANDREW BERGER, DN
And then, it was time. Before McKenna went to the hospital for the final time, she knew what was coming. Standing in her kitchen, she broke down. Her brother, John, was there to try to console her.
“I’m completely hysterical. I’ve never seen myself that way before,” McKenna said. “I couldn’t even explain the thoughts that were going through my head. I’m like, ‘No way this is happening. No way it’s happening.’ My brother comes and comforts me and calms me down. And he’s like, ‘We’re gonna go.’”
While McKenna was the one who needed consoling, it was her turn to do the same thing for Lisa when the doctors handed her the “Do not resuscitate” paperwork hours later.
It’s a moment McKenna will never forget.
“It was the saddest thing that I feel like has happened in my life because just seeing her fall apart, and I had to be there for her, and it wasn’t the other way around,” McKenna said. “I had to step up and be the strong one, and I wasn’t strong whatsoever, and I just had to fake it till I made it.
“I remember holding her up as she signed the paper with all the nurses coming out. She collapses in my arms, and I’m just sitting there, trying to hold it together. I’m like, ‘What in the world is going on?’ It felt like a fever dream.”
‘I couldn’t handle it mentally’
As soon as she returned to Muncie, things were not OK. It wasn’t the place she fell in love with when she first stepped on the campus in 2021, she said. After being recruited by Ball State, she had no interest in playing for the Cardinals.
“I remember telling my parents, ‘I’m not taking it. I’m not going to Indiana. My whole childhood, my whole recruiting process, I was like, ‘I’m staying in Florida,’” McKenna said. “I want to play with my family. But then, when I came here, it’s like the wedding dress phenomenon. When you know, you know.”
She remembers that first year and was excited to be in Delaware County. Being from the Sunshine State, Ball State is the first place she saw snow. Multiple members of the softball and other athletic teams all went sledding and took in the scenery.
(Left) A circled cross drawn in the dirt by McKenna Mulholland next to the Ball State dugout is photographed April 1 at Ball State Softball Stadium. Before Mulholland steps up to the plate, she draws a cross in the dirt because she said her faith has helped her through all the things she’s been through. ANDREW
(Below) Ball State junior McKenna Mulholland gathers a handful of dirt before stepping to bat against Northern Illinois April 1 at Ball State Softball Stadium ANDREW BERGER, DN
But after Joe’s death, Muncie had just become a place where she was alone. Besides her boyfriend, Ball State baseball player Houston King, and her two roommates, she felt like no one could help her.
That’s when she began walking and driving around at late hours to get away from everything.
“Before that passing, she was always bubbly and had a smile on her face,” King said. “Afterwards, she stayed the same to the people outside, but deep
inside, I could tell she was hurting.”
There was one occasion when McKenna began the journey home to Florida because she couldn’t deal with the stress anymore. She was 30 minutes in when Lisa talked her daughter into turning around and going back to school.
McKenna also started cutting people out of her life when things got tougher.
“I stopped pouring my love and care into
[relationships] because it was draining me,” she said. “I realized that I needed to give myself more love, and I needed to give myself more grace. I was giving it to so many people [who] didn’t deserve it.”
Though that helped, McKenna still found herself sitting in her room crying for hours, even when it came to everyday things.
BERGER, DN
FIELD
Continued from Page 07
“It’s a nice feeling being alone, and no one’s gonna know how hard I cry right now,” McKenna said. When it came to the people she wanted in her life, she still hid everything, even though she was struggling on the inside.
“I just tried to put on this strong face in front of [people] and act like nothing mattered to me when, in reality, everything mattered to me,” she said. “If somebody raised their voice at me in a certain way, I would have deteriorated inside because I couldn’t handle it mentally.”
Her roommates at the time, Ball State softball player McKayla Timmons and former Cardinal Samantha Jo Mata, both tried to help their “best friend.”
“We would do our best to make sure she was never home alone for too long,” Mata said. “We knew she would kind of self-destruct if we let her, and we didn’t want her to do that. So, we made sure that we kind of stuck by her.”
Some ways they tried to help McKenna were bringing her food and taking her and Lisa out to dinner when they were together in Muncie. But at the end of the day, nothing really worked as McKenna knew what the core problem was.
“I had no time to go through the grief,” she said. “I had no time to even let it sink in that he was gone.”
While she was trying to deal with this, there was something else that gave her trouble: softball.
After recording a .336 batting average and 43 hits during her redshirt freshman season in 2023, she finished 2024 with just a .247 average and 37 hits. She also had 10 errors on defense compared to the five she had in her opening year.
She said it was the worst slump of her life. Every time she made solid contact, she felt it would go right to a fielder for an out.
“When you’re at this level, if you’re not performing, I think it all comes down to the mental game,” McKenna said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with my swing. I love my swing … It’s not me trusting the process.”
Currently, she has a .266 batting average with 21 hits, 20 walks, but also has 15 strikeouts. On defense, she has four errors. Though she’s had moments of success, she said the game “isn’t fun” at times, a feeling that has led to its own unique struggle.
“I put so much stress into my performance, whether I’m looked at as a captain or a leader,” she said. “I put so much into my identity of people liking me because I’m good at softball.”
But despite the negative play, she’s kept a smile on her face this season. Being a captain, she feels she has to. Mata believes she’s been able to do this because she only opens herself up to certain individuals.
“You ask her how she is, and she’s always gonna tell you she’s fine. ‘Oh, I’m fine, oh, I’m fine,’” Mata said. “She goes through so much, but she’s always fine, everything’s fine. She goes to practice, and she’s the fucking light in the room. She’s brightening everybody else’s day.”
‘It’s OK to be vulnerable’
McKenna doesn’t think she’ll ever get back to the “JoJo” she was before Joe died. In fact,
Ball State junior softball player McKenna “JoJo” Mulholland is photographed March 31 in the Art and Journalism Building. Mulholland discovered the news of her stepfather’s cancer on the way to a softball tournament in April 2023. ANDREW BERGER, DN
she doesn’t know if she’ll return to 100 percent anytime soon.
“I’m missing a huge part of my life. I still have a great support system, and I have great parents, but what you go through in life makes you who you are,” McKenna said. “I don’t think I’ll ever go back to how I was when I was 18, or mentally how I was
someone like my mom or dad,” she said. “Before he passed, I maybe took my relationships for granted, and I didn’t think about how much those meant to me until you don’t have them.”
Some of the other ways she keeps his memory alive are the “threes” celebration — Joe’s favorite number was 33, so she holds up three fingers.
I just tried to put on this strong face in front of [people] and act like nothing mattered to me when, in reality, everything mattered to me.”
-
MCKENNA MULHOLLAND, Ball State University softball redshirt junior
when I was 18. I’ve learned that life gets harder, and you just learn how to deal with it better.”
But there are certain things she has prioritized because of this: Building and keeping stronger relationships with loved ones is the No. 1 priority for her.
“His death played a big role in how I handle life. I can’t imagine losing someone else or losing
Another is something she’s done for most of her career, but it means even more now.
Before she steps up to the plate, she draws a cross in the dirt. She said her faith has helped her with everything she’s been through.
“I’m not the person to play the woe card or anything,” she said. “But I do acknowledge that I’ve been through some difficult, difficult
situations in my life. I know I’ve been through some trauma, and I like reminding myself that it’s OK to be vulnerable.”
Though she is still struggling, there are a few things that have helped. Her faith and remembering what Joe used to tell her. When McKenna and Lisa were on their way back from Florida, one day removed from his funeral, they were next to a Mountain Dew truck for most of the journey. It was Joe’s favorite drink.
At a gas station bathroom, the phrase “Everything happens for a reason” was written on the wall. Joe said this all the time. With those signs, McKenna knew her stepdad was there.
But the one thing he told her that will never leave her is the phrase he lived his life by: ‘Who cares?’
“He would just remind me, ‘Who cares? Literally, who cares? You’re the only one [who] cares,’” McKenna said. “… He was just that subtle reminder that it’s just a game.”
Due to the phrase and that she dedicated this season to Joe, McKenna has one goal in mind this year.
“I don’t want to play for anyone but myself,” she said. “I want to go back to the little girl that had fun and had no pressure, no anxiety, no stress, no nothing … I don’t want to care about results, stats or anything. I just want to embrace the opportunity and the time I have left to play softball.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary. carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
Campus
Shelter
overflow
Muncie and other Indiana communities are facing overcrowded animal shelters with limited options. 10
The Ball State Opera Theatre program is presenting their spring opera “Cendrillon”in Sursa Performance Hall. There are two performances, the first April 4 at 7:30 p.m. and the second April 6 at 3 p.m. The show is a retelling of “Cinderella,” and tickets are available at the door or in advance through the College of Fine Arts Box Office.
Community
The Magic City Brew Fest is April 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. at MadJax. General admission tickets begin at $45. The event will feature craft beers, winery, distillery and nonalcoholic options. A VIP experience is available for 75 individuals, which includes a pre-reception at 7 Rock Brew, brew samples from the vault and a behind-the-scenes tour.
Community Spring Opera Brewfest
Three Trails lineup
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series lineup was released April 2. This year, four shows will be at Canan Commons and three at the Brown Family Amphitheater. The 2025 lineup includes Grammy-winning bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers, Harlem Gospel Travelers, Blue Moon Marquee and more.
A dog being housed in an old jail cell is photographed Jan. 31 at Muncie Animal Care and Services (MAC). The MAC used to be a formal jail and houses dogs with behavioral issues in the jail cells. ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
One of the cats held in the intake room is photographed Jan. 31 at Muncie Animal Care and Services. Cats are held in this room due to sicknesses, needing medication, or just got in and need a once-over before being put in the cat room.
ISABELLA
KEMPER, DN
Muncie Animal Care and Services shelter is at capacity.
Trinity Rea
Print Managing Editor
6.5 million cats and dogs entered shelters and rescues across America in 2023, according to Shelter Animals Count (SAC), a national database dedicated to sharing data that impacts animals and communities.
The average length of stay for dogs in the U.S. has increased, with larger dogs remaining in shelters the longest, averaging 20 days compared to just 14 days for smaller dogs, according to SAC. As a result, dogs of all sizes are waiting longer for new homes, which limits the capacity of shelters.
The Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS) found in a 2024 report that while some shelters have experienced an uptick in dog adoptions, others across the nation are still experiencing pressure and overflow. This has a direct impact on animals being put down.
The BFAS found that the number of dogs euthanized in shelters increased by five percent in 2024. The number of dogs euthanized in shelters is rising because of a nearly six percent increase in dogs taken in, transferred or returned to shelters. In other words, there are still more animals coming into shelters than being adopted.
Joshua Taulbee, director of Muncie Animal Care and Services (The MAC), has only been in his role for a handful of months but has seen shelter overcrowding firsthand. He said that due to an increase in the cost of living, it’s a struggle for animals to be adopted. Its also been difficult for him and his staff to maintain their facility and animals in their care.
In a 2021 survey released by the Pet-Inclusive Housing initiative, 72 percent of respondents said pet-friendly housing was hard to find, while 59 percent of respondents said that pet-friendly housing is just too expensive.
Taulbee runs the MAC in a former jail. Though they retrofitted the building 10 years ago, Taulbee said, making a shelter in the space creates difficulty
dedicated to sick cats and kittens, crates are stacked nearly to the ceiling.
When a shelter becomes overcrowded, it’s difficult to maintain the high standards of hygiene that MAC wants, simply because they have animals everywhere. Taulbee said, despite the challenge, his staff works hard to maintain the facility and its care.
We’re always kind of at capacity … We’re stacking crates three high. If there’s a place, we put the dogs there ... I don’t know if we’ll ever drop under 90 dogs at any time. Very rarely are we dropping under 100 [animals] in the last eight months.”
- JOSHUA TAULBEE, Director of Muncie Animal Care and Services
at times. The Ball State Daily News took a tour around the facility, led by Taulbee, and was able to get a look at what the general public does not see. Behind the adoption rooms, there are dogs with behavioral issues housed in makeshift kennels made out of old jail cells. In a separate room
“I have ordinances. I have to provide life-saving care for these animals, and that’s what we want to do here anyway,” he said. “We’re just kind of having to take it and work with what we can and do what we can within our means while also providing the best amount of care for all the animals that
come into our shelter.”
Taulbee said the MAC usually houses over 300 animals at a time. The shelter’s capacity is “106ish” dogs, while during kitten season, the shelter houses around 250 cats. Last year, MAC hit a high of “around 400 to 350” animals in the shelter.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic reached its peak years ago, shelters like the MAC around the country are clearly still feeling the effects.
According to 2021 data from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, nearly one in five American households adopted a cat or dog during the pandemic. Consumer spending on pets increased between 2020 and 2022, especially among higher-income households, as reported by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Once the pandemic-adoption boom cooled down, pet owners were returning their dogs to shelters for a variety of reasons. Now, the shelters are back where they started pre-pandemic.
“We’re always kind of at capacity … We’re stacking crates three high. If there’s a place, we put the dogs there,” Taulbee said. “… I don’t know if we’ll ever drop under 90 dogs at any time. Very rarely are we dropping under 100 [animals] in the last eight months. We’re used to it.”
MAC is a government-run/municipal shelter, meaning the facility is run by the Muncie government on taxpayer money.
Dog located in the small dog room is photographed Jan. 31 at Muncie Animal Care and Services. There is a separate room for some of the smaller dogs at MAC located in one of the old jail bathrooms. ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
Cats are held in an intake room before being put in the cat rooms for adoption Jan. 31 at Muncie Animal Care and Services. ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
Dog located in the kennels is photographed Jan. 31 at Muncie Animal Care and Services. The MAC rarely drops under 100 dogs in the shelter at a time.
ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
Tic the cat eats from the food set out for them Jan. 31 at Muncie Animal Care and Services. ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
Dog located in the kennels is photographedJan. 31 at Muncie Animal Care and Services. The MAC is almost always at capacity and will make room for dogs and cats anywhere they can.
ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
A resting cat is photographed Jan. 31 at Muncie Animal Care and Services. During kitten season, the shelter houses around 250 cats.. ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
PAINFUL PROTECTION
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS NEED TO STOP DIMINISHING THE POSSIBILITY OF PAIN FROM IUD INSERTION.
Ella Howell is a fourth-year journalism major and writes a column for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
When getting a vaccination or blood drawn, healthcare professionals warn you of a “little pinch.” The slight discomfort is what you would anticipate when a needle pierces the skin; a quick, sharp pain that’s gone before you know it.
Many people who are scared of needles when they’re young outgrow that fear as shots and blood work become expected routines. When you’re told you’ll feel a pinch, you know exactly what you’re about to experience.
When I decided to switch from the pill to an intrauterine device (IUD) at 19, I received the same warning of a slight pinch. But it was entirely different from the feeling I was conditioned to tolerate.
An IUD is one of the most effective contraceptives with a success rate above 99 percent, according to Planned Parenthood.
With such a high percentage, it has become a common form of birth control since its introduction in the early 1900s.
completely blind to what I was about to endure.
According to the European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Healthcare, only 9 percent of those who hadn’t given birth considered the insertion process to be “painless,” 72 percent reported feeling moderate pain and 17 percent said the procedure caused severe pain.
Multiple steps can cause pain when getting an IUD, which can vary depending on the provider.
After a speculum is inserted, a tenaculum slightly pierces both sides of the cervix to stabilize it.
This step can cause pain due to both the manipulation of the cervix and uterus, as well as the sharp points of the tenaculum. A tenaculum is a pair of forceps with two sharp, hooked ends to hold tissue. Some doctors are exploring alternative options to reduce pain and bleeding, but the device has been used in reproductive healthcare for over a century.
With a high volume of insertions and different practices and training among medical professionals, experiences and studies vary regarding pain levels.
According to Dr. Jennifer Kaiser, it can be very painful, but patients receiving an IUD rarely need anything stronger than over-the-counter anti-inflammatories 30 minutes prior to the procedure.
While many patients spend more time filling out paperwork than actually receiving their IUD, this is not the experience for a significant number of people. Too many healthcare professionals assume those experiencing pain are outliers and, therefore, don’t address the alternative.
I was told during my consultation appointment that the whole thing would be really quick, and there was nothing to be scared of. They said the worst part would be mild discomfort during the placement.
The only direction for pain management I got was to take 800 mg of ibuprofen 30 minutes before the appointment, the same solution as when I used to get my braces tightened in middle school.
I have always had a relatively high pain tolerance and was repeatedly assured it would be quick and virtually painless, so I took the ibuprofen and went to my appointment alone.
I wasn’t informed that other factors play into the anticipated pain level for an IUD insertion.
People who have never given birth reported significantly higher pain compared to those who had a previous vaginal delivery, according to the National Library of Medicine.
No one explained each step of the placement or even addressed the possibility of extreme pain. I was
Being in the most intense pain I had ever felt while it was actively being minimized put me in a position where I didn’t feel comfortable communicating the agony I was in.”
Once the cervix is gripped using the tenaculum, a sounding device measures the depth of the uterus for proper placement. Finally, the IUD is inserted using a tube and deployed to form its T-shape.
Each step of the insertion and placement can cause the feeling of “pressure” and cramping that ranges in severity.
Unfortunately, I fell on the severe end of that spectrum. With the tenaculum, I was told to brace for slight discomfort. At first, it felt like a strong cramp, but it didn’t go away. Instead, it continued to build into waves of sharp, indescribable pain.
By the time she started to measure, I could feel my eyes begin to water. Moving wouldn’t help, so I fought to stay still through the duration. She kept telling me to take deep breaths and that it would be over soon, but nothing helped.
Before moving on to each step, she explained what she was doing, but her constant repetition that I would only feel slight discomfort or pressure was invalidating.
Being in the most intense pain I had ever felt while it was actively being minimized put me in a position where I didn’t feel comfortable communicating the agony I was in.
When she was finished, she asked me if I was OK, and I just nodded — I thought the pain would stop and I could
leave. She told me I did a great job on her way out and never came back.
As I laid on the table with my feet still in the stirrups, unable to move because I was scared it would make the pain worse, my body didn’t feel like my own.
I stared at the fluorescent lights alone in the exam room, waiting until I could walk to my car. But I began to feel extremely nauseous from the severity of the cramping.
I became nervous as my discomfort and queasiness worsened. Having no prior warning that this was a potential outcome, I felt like something was wrong, but I was alone.
I must have been there for a while because the nurse came in to ensure I was OK. By then, I was very lightheaded and nauseous, and my skin was so clammy my paper gown was sticking to me.
The nurse brought me a bucket as I started throwing up, and she had to call my mom to come pick me up.
My whole body began to shake uncontrollably as the nurse waited with me. She told me it was probably my body adjusting to the influx of hormones. I was confused as to why none of this was discussed before.
When I left the exam room, I was unable to stand up straight as I walked through the closed clinic.
The situation could have been entirely different if I had been given an accurate description of the process rather than just the ideal.
I began to see a lot of IUD horror stories on social media similar to my own. My experience was validated, but the commonality of that level of pain is inhumane.
Some medical professionals do offer alternative pain plans, but it is not the normal routine. According to the American Medical Association, there’s no standard of care for pain management with IUD placement in adults who haven’t given birth, as “effective interventions for pain relief are lacking.”
As awareness and conversations around the problem continue to grow, doctors must stop underestimating the pain associated with predominantly female reproductive procedures.
Many procedures can be safely and painlessly performed on a conscious patient with local anesthesia, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists. It’s a one-time injection used in medical practices like skin or breast biopsies, repairing broken bones or stitching deep cuts. It should be routinely offered to people receiving IUDs as well.
According to family planning specialist Dr. Sheila Mody, many clinicians seem to be hesitant to offer it because they feel like it will interrupt the flow of the clinic. But in her experience, her patients can leave much sooner when they aren’t “lying on the exam table in pain.”
The lack of recognition in the medical community regarding the extent of pain from IUD insertions isn’t talked about enough. Patients should be informed of all options and potential outcomes to fully consent to any medical procedure.
Contact Ella Howell via email at ella.howell@ bsu.edu.
Lifestyles Editor and Copy Editor
Ella Howell
SHELTER
Continued from Page 10
Dr. Melissa Justice, director of small animal health programs at the Indiana Board of Animal Health (IBAH), said public shelters like the MAC “probably have a lower supply” of money versus a privately owned shelter. Additionally, they may not have a lot of control over what goes on in their shelter.
“If a [private shelter] wants to treat every single animal that comes in by asking for donations or ‘whatnot,’ they have the ability and the autonomy to be able to do that within their own group,” she said. “Publicly owned shelters may be a little bit tougher to be able to independently make those decisions because, a lot of times, they may have standard operating procedures on how the funding agency wants them to run those shelters.”
IBAH handles various operations on a dayto-day basis, including regulating diseases of concern based on recommendations from the federal government.
The organization also has the authority to assist local law enforcement with their investigations into cases of animal hoarding, animal neglect and animal abuse. Justice said a lot of times, local authorities who run the animal shelters will investigate suspected cases of animal neglect or animal abuse, and they’ll call IBAH veterinarians in to provide a professional opinion.
Justice said it is important for Hoosier communities to recognize the process that goes into their local municipal shelters’ decisions. Sometimes, a shelter will be over capacity, yet it will still have to find somewhere to house an animal.
Additionally, Justice said no-kill shelters like the MAC, which also acts as Muncie’s Animal Control, face a different layer of pressure.
“There’s an intense pressure from the public now to reduce the number of animals that are being euthanized in shelter situations,” she said.
“Everybody wants to have low-kill or no-kill shelters. I think from our mind, that’s what we want best for animal welfare, but the problem is, if we’re not adopting out those animals, then we’re also going to create overcrowded situations.”
For Taulbee, a solution to help ease overcrowding is for Muncie locals to spay and neuter their pets, leading to a reduction in the population of animals in the community. He said it’s common to have a pet come in and need the procedure done, although it is “much cheaper to deal with at the beginning” process of adopting an animal.
Justice recommends volunteering at your local shelter. She said in order for shelters to run smoothly and still be low- or no-kill, they need help from the community. The MAC allows volunteers to come in and walk dogs during operating hours. Taulbee said they are also always looking for help cleaning the facility or temporary fosters. He said this issue is not just one at the MAC or in Delaware County, but for neighboring counties across the state.
“Everyone’s really facing shelter overcrowding, whether it’s us, whether it’s nonprofits, it’s happening everywhere,” Taulbee said. “In a city like Muncie, you know, with Ball State [where] I think we have around 76,000 people, it just exacerbates the issue.”
Contact Trinity Rea via email at trinity.rea@bsu. edu or on X @thetrinityrea.
Dog located in the small dog room is photographed Jan. 31 at Muncie Animal Care and Services. There is a separate room for some of the smaller dogs at the MAC located in one of the old jail bathrooms.
ASTA
Continued from Page 03
“It is the best thing I’ve done at Ball State so far,” she said.
The chapter also teaches adult learners by working with local members of the New Horizons International Music Association in Muncie. On top of their weekly teachings, the chapter hosts events at Ball State, such as a String Orchestra Invitational. For this event, the chapter partners with the state ASTA chapter to invite high school orchestras to come to Ball State and be consulted by judges.
Not only do schools receive feedback from nationally recognized judges, but it also serves as a great way for Ball State to advertise its strings program to prospective students.
While the chapter focuses intently on community outreach, they do a lot to practice and develop their orchestral capabilities as well. For example, they occasionally hold professional development nights when they bring in teachers from the community to speak firsthand about their profession.
Another key example of the chapter’s group meetings is those focused on honing the versatility of their members by asking everyone to swap instruments and sections of the same songs
constantly in order to be able to quickly grasp how an instrument plays different sections of the same song.
Over the years, Best said the chapter has evolved significantly since she first arrived at Ball State in 2022. During that time, she said the chapter was left rather small and struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the chapter has been trying to get back to consistency in its scheduling and outreach, hosting three chapter meetings a month.
In the midst of all the routine practice work and extensive outreach, the chapter is also building camaraderie within the community through regular shared laughter and social event planning.
“One of the biggest things for any college student organization is feeling like you’re part of a community,” Best said.
Spieker praised the collaborative efforts of his chapter students, who he said are lifting up not just each other, but the entire Muncie community.
“They just have a heart for kids and for this community. I think that sets them apart,” he said.
Ball State’s ASTA Student Chapter meets Wednesdays three times a month from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. inside Hargreaves School of Music, room 117.
Contact Sean Behling via email at sean. behling@bsu.edu.
ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
A Ball State University American String Teachers Association student chapter meeting is photographed March during a secondary instruments night where they practiced playing a secondary instruments. Members from left to right: Ella Moss, Aaron Robinson, Hannah Wellman, Nicholas Hogue, Patricia Burton, Megan Duncan, Hannah Kunst, Grace Buchanan. BALL STATE AMERICAN STRING TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, PHOTO PROVIDED
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